Emperor's Liberators
The Emperor's Liberators, known formally as the 'Imperatoris Liberatae', are a formerly loyalist Space Marine Chapter created from gene-seed of unknown origins during an Unknown Founding. During their creation Adeptus Mechanicus fleshcrafters made mistakes in the handling of the future chapter's gene-seed. Records of this chapter's founding were destroyed by said officials in order to save careers and the lives of those responsible for said mistakes. The chapter's history is one that tells of heroic beginnings, dutiful service, and the time of strife it endures to this day. A stinging irony that hangs over every battle-brother of the chapter is that despite their name and circumstances on paper, they are now more enslaved than ever. As the chapter continues to fight a never-ending war for its ideals and a war against fate itself, one question remains: What is the price of freedom?... Chapter History Notable Campaigns "Breaking news: the Tau have us surrounded. More at 11." - Harrison '''The ''Magician' Houdinium during a Tau ambush on Hawaius *'Enmity of the Tau (950.M41)' - As part of the efforts by the Adeptus Mechanicus officials to cover up their mistakes, the chapter is sent to a planet called Battlement at the Eastern Fringes. The sector where Battlement resides is promptly cut off to the Imperium via warp storms. The lone battle barge is boarded by the Tau Protector and Merchant fleets, but this attempt would predictably fail. The Tau Admiral, Kor’ro Sky-Reaper, would then order the Battle Barge to be destroyed. It crash lands onto Battlement and kills 150 marines, but 400 of them manage to escape via drop pod onto the surface. *Revolution Against the Tau *'Settling Mericae (951.M41)' - After barely surviving a series of deadly ambushes by stealth-suits, broadsides, and ghostkeels, the now 280-strong Astartes who dropped onto the planet are hardened veterans forced to utilize stealth tactics and counter-ambush techniques as they fight their way to an unoccupied continent called Mericae. This continent is lead by an army that calls themselves the Agents of Liberty, made up of disillusioned citizens and loyalist PDF and Arbites units. *'Fight for Survival (500951.M41)' - The battle barge crash site is investigated by a sizeable Tau strike force backed by Broadsides, XV8s, and a Riptide. Outnumbering the surviving marines 4:1, the strike force inflicts heavy casualties on the crash site survivors. Only through surviving crew-served battle barge weapons, stalwart defiance, and heavily entrenched defenses are the marines able to repulse the Tau assault. Most of the Tau are eventually killed and the crash site is preserved. The remaining 520 marines and tens of thousands of serfs and tech priests send out a distress beacon to the surviving Astartes. Whether by miracle or the Emperor’s benevolent hand, the battle barge crashed in Mericae, and the entire Astartes chapter eventually reunites. 100 Astartes and most of the tech-priests and serfs stay behind to preserve the ship’s vital systems, gene-seed storage, weapons and vehicles, and the technology to make new astartes. *'Battlement Insurgency (952.M41)' - Now fully introduced to the Agents of Liberty, the astartes and Agents of Liberty formulate plans to retake the planet. Success will entail the full defeat of the Tau Commander Shas'O Yoon and corrupt planetary governess Angelium Marcellus, as well as the kroot, vespid, and gue’vesa. Instrumental in this is the retaking of 4 laser defense silos and 2 Tau ion cannon emplacements, gaining popular support, and gathering the strength to begin a mass-uprising. Inspirational Agents of Liberty, Alexis Jonesson, and astartes chaplains work to whip the vast majority of Battlement’s population into a frenzy through daring raids and secret gatherings. *'The Raid (300952.M41)' - Davidius Clarkeson and a few other Ranger Detachment volunteers lead daring raids to retake seized assets, sabotage critical Tau installations, rescue gue’la in concentration camps, and even steal heavy Tau weaponry. Half of these raids fail and cost the Agents of Liberty and their Astartes allies dearly, but Clarkeson’s raids prove the most successful and secure vital assets for the coming rebellion. The Tau Fire Caste commanders demand investigations for the uptick in violence, and begin heavier crackdowns on all major population centers. *'The Harbingers of Intrigue (350952.M41)' - Seeking valuable allies, the Agents of Liberty task Tedium Nugentus with securing the alliance of an enigmatic cult known as the Harbingers of Intrigue. Their psychic might could turn the tide of the war if utilized, and could also replace the long-dead astropathic choirs who were unable to warn the Imperium of the corrupt planetary governess. Fighting their way through ravenous Kroot and Vespid in the now bombed-out sewers and abandoned ghettos, the Agents of Liberty led by Nugentus and Space Marine scouts manage to find the Harbingers of Intrigue and strike up an alliance with them. *'Tau Counter-Insurgency (953.M41)' - With a powerful array of allies and enough supplies to sustain a planet-wide rebellion, the Agents of Liberty and their astartes allies begin Operation Regaining Freedom, with the overall objective to kick the Tau off of Battlement. The heavy urban combat initially swung in the favor of the Imperials, but Puretide AI helps to assist the Tau in counter-insurgency operations. This culminates in the raid on Bostium, which kills the head commander of the Agents of Liberty, Omega Ben Lucious. He was being interviewed by Alexis Jonesson. A wounded Jonesson is barely able to escape, but his image is shattered. Heavy collateral damage leads to costly civilian casualties, which sharply reduces popular support for the rebellion. Tau stealthsuits and Hammerhead gunships reap a heavy toll in the cities, with Fire Warriors and their gue’vesa allies slowly clearing resistance in enclosed areas. *'The Slaughter (500953.M41)' - The Imperials attempt to seize the laser silos and Ion cannons, but are stopped dead in their tracks by fierce Tau resistance in the surrounding forests. Broadsides, Crisis suits, and stealthsuits devastate the massed formations of the Imperials. The assaults are called off after 2 weeks of heavy casualties with little results. In one failed raid, Ranger Davidius Clarkeson loses his eye and his entire team is killed except for him. *'The Siege of Alamum (750953.M41)' - Tau forces mount devastating counter-attacks against major Imperial-loyalist strongholds. The Alamum, the largest of these strongholds, breaks under the weight of Riptide-led assaults after a month of relentless combat. Famous Agent of Liberty Davius Crocker is killed in the last stand. Nearly the entire garrison dies during the defense. Tedium Nugentus, frantic to save his personal arsenal and avenge the fort he worked so hard to build, tries to lead a small team behind enemy lines to recover any weapons they can, but the assault fails and half of his team is killed or captured. It would be a huge stain on Nugentus’ honor and a resounding propaganda victory for the Tau water and fire caste. *'The Battle of the Barge (954.M41)' - The first uprising against the Tau fails after a year of bloody setbacks and stalemates. De-spirited and dwindled, the Imperial loyalists retreat to the crashed battle barge to lick their wounds, with the Tau hot on their heels. In what would become known as the Battle of the Barge, the Imperial loyalists pay a bloody price to hold the crash site. The Tau actually manage to breach the perimeter multiple times and heavily damage the defenders with well placed Broadside strikes, but are ultimately forced out of the tight confines of the ship and instead blockade the crash site. *'The Price of Freedom (100954.M41)' - The Agents of Liberty and their astartes allies fight to keep their perimeter intact, but also realize their errors during the first rebellion. Their willingness to disregard civilian casualties as the ‘price of freedom’ and ‘necessary for the greater good’ cost the rebellion dearly in public support, morale, and volunteers. They made themselves look at least as uncaring and ruthless as the Tau. The rebels also couldn’t come up with effective ways to take down the various Tau Battlesuits. Moving in open formations would not be an option for the limited resources of the rebellion. Finally, the Harbingers of Intrigue wasted their time and manpower on strategically irrelevant objectives, rushing in only to secure areas sacred to the cult instead of areas important to the rebellion. The leadership will develop better tactics and place a heavier priority on protecting the lives of both their allies and civilians, if not out of morality then simple practicality. *'Engines of War (955.M41)' - Key assets like thunderhawks, land-speeders, Rhinos, and 4 Land Raiders are finally rebuilt at the Battle Barge crash site. These vehicles are used to break the blockade around the crash site, and the soldiers and astartes manage to gain footholds in most of the cities on Battlement. The crash site becomes a base of operations for the overall rebellion, and Tau attempts to destroy the HQ would meet consistent failure. *'The Redemption Raid (956.M41)' - Alexis Jonesson redeems himself and his image in the eyes of the public by participating in a raid alongside Davidius Clarkeson to kill a notable Fire Caste commander name Shas’O Reen. Jonesson uncovers the truth that the commander had not only authorized numerous Tau operations that put toxic chemicals in the waters near stubborn Gue’la enclaves to sterilize and/or outright kill the populations, but that Shas'O Reen participated in the Ben Lucius raid himself. After personally killing the Tau commander he interrogated, Jonesson used his expertise in vox-related technology to spread these revelations far and wide, re-igniting mass public support. *'The Kroot Repulsion (200956.M41)' - Tedium Nugentus, using a salvaged assault cannon, repulses a massed Kroot and Gue’vesa assault on a key stronghold. This stronghold contained many Imperial and Tau heavy weapons that would later prove instrumental to the war effort. Reinforcements manage to chase the attacking Tau back to their base of operations before melting away into the landscape. Nugentus has kept this autocannon to this day. *'A New Strategy (400956.M41)' - Davidius Clarkeson develops a strategy to distract Tau battlesuits and ultimately destroy a major Tau advantage. Astartes terminators and heavy vehicles will absorb Tau battlesuit fire while Astartes and Agents of Liberty with jump-packs quickly pounce on the distracted battlesuits and destroy them with las-cannons and other heavy weapons. Clarkeson uses his meltagun to destroy dozens of battlesuits alone in the forests surrounding the laser silos. *'Battle of The Redwoods (957.M41)' - The Tau attempt to regain the initiative via deadly ambushes with ghostkeels and stealthsuits in the forests in a bid to cut off the rebellion. The rebellion utilizes new tactics and despite heavy casualties manages to stave off the tide of the Battlesuits and Hammerhead gunships, in addition to precision airstrikes by Thunderhawks or decisive vehicular counterattacks. The relentless battle in the Mericaen forests give these forests a grim nickname: The Redwoods. However, the Imperium isn’t able to push out of these forests for another month. *'The Harbingers Attack (958.M41)' - Though the Tau have more advanced soldiers, they have completely lost their popular support thanks to damning revelations of Tau brutality and steady advances into the cities. The Harbingers of Intrigue also begin using their full psychic potential to devastate the Tau and their auxiliaries. Only drones are able to resist their psychic powers and prevent a full-scale rout. *'Wrath of the Tau (959.M41)' - An overwhelming majority of the cities are now under the control of the loyalist Imperials. Any remaining gue’vesa either leave the cities back to the Tau capital building called Installation T4U-2019 or are killed. Commander Shas'O Yoon requests orbital bombardment to destroy all of the rebellion-held cities. Kor’Ro Sky-Reaper announces that her ships will be in position to launch said bombardments in 5 days. Alexis Jonesson and other Agents of Liberty managed to hack or seize Tau communications from dead Fire Warriors and inform the rebellion of their greatest challenge yet. *'Assault of the Liberators (001-005959.M41)' : The Astartes send their armored units and jump-pack marines to the front lines to seize the first two laser silos, with the Agents of Liberty and Astartes Terminators breaching the interiors. Moderate casualties are reported as the attackers encounter Tau drones and Kroot defenders. Now realizing the objectives of the Imperials, the Tau bring multiple battlesuits to defend the next 2 laser silos and Hammerhead gunships to bolster the infantry defenders. The astartes armored units aren’t enough to break the defensive line, requiring stealthy attacks from hidden heavy weapons units to destroy the Battlesuits and Hammerheads. Despite a heavy cost, the Imperials manage to break the defenses and secure all the laser silos. These laser silos are used to start attacking the Tau fleet, but isn’t enough to deter them. The Ion cannons will have to be taken, but Shas'O Yoon is fully aware of what’s at stake and sends all of his remaining Battlesuits to defend the Ion Cannons. With hours left before a devastating Tau bombardment, the rebellion pours its might into one desperate gamble. A full scale assault is mounted, that is twice repulsed by the fury of the Fire Warriors and their battlesuits. Even gue’vesa and other Tau auxiliaries take to the field, and Shas'O Yoon takes his Enforcer Battlesuit to the field personally, destroying 2 Land raiders alone. Only concentrated fire from Thunderhawks, Terminator Marines, the remaining Land Raiders, Harbingers of Intrigue with their psychic powers (to distract the Tau commander and weaken him), and Agents of Liberty armed with heavy weapons were able to finally take down the especially deadly Battlesuit. Shocked by the death of their commander, the Tau line finally collapsed and the Agents of Liberty and astartes seized the Ion Cannons in bloody CQC battle. The laser silos and Ion Cannons either destroy or completely repel the Tau fleet, though some plasma barrages deal damage to the cities below. *'Victory at Installation T4U-2019 (960.M41)' - After a grueling year of fighting inside the Tau Installation T4U-2019, the remaining Tau resistance is finally eliminated. All gue’vesa are hunted down and brutally executed, as is the corrupt planetary governor. *'Battlement Rebuilds (999960.M41)' - The sector where Battlement resides is finally free of warp storms. Battlement rebuilds as they recover from the war. The Agents of Liberty send more of their best recruits to become astartes, while other aspirants finally finish the implantation process. The astartes chapter, unaware of most of their origins, call themselves the Emperor’s Liberators (a nickname by both the population and the newest astartes recruits). The crashed battle barge is formed into a fortress-monastery titled the Albus Domus, and The Hexagon (nicknamed the 'Hex) is built as a command center for the Agents of Liberty. The Emperor's Liberators swell to 2500 marines, disregarding the codex restrictions. Davidius Clarkeson, Alexis Jonesson, and Tedium Nugentus are elected to the rank of Executives of the Emperor’s Liberators despite only recently finishing implantation due to a lack of chapter leadership. Battlement is ultimately turned into a prosperous and well defended planet, but would be sorely tested in the years to come. *'13th Black Crusade (999.M41)' - The 13th Black Crusade begins. Word Bearer and Iron Warrior splinter fleets are taken off course and sent to Battlement thanks to the warp. The Harbingers of Intrigue aid in the invasion of these traitor legions and reveal themselves as a Tzeenchian cult, betraying the Emperor’s Liberators and Agents of Liberty and crippling Battlement’s defenses and killing many. The traitor legions make lots of headway and push all the way to the Albus Domus and The Hexagon, leaving a grisly path in their wake. Slaves are taken and some citizens are converted to chaos. *'Indomitus Crusade (999.M41-111.M42)' **'Second Siege of Battlement (Date Unknown.M42)'- The Albus Domus and The Hexagon are under siege. Much of Battlement’s population is forced underground. The slaves taken by the traitor legions are either liberated by various raids or killed by their vile masters. At great cost, the Emperor’s Liberators and Agents of Liberty create a defensive line called the Liberty Wall. Breaches into the Albus Domus and The Hexagon occur regularly, and are closed after heavy fighting by the defenders. **'Arrival of the Avenging Son (Date Unknown.M42)' - The Indomitus Crusade reaches Battlement by chance, and delivers precious reinforcements. The siege is temporarily broken, until the traitor legions return to the planet months after the crusade breaks up. Battlement becomes the prime recruitment world for the Agents of Liberty and the Emperor’s Liberators. **'Assault of Ceres (Date Unknown.M42)' - Executive Davidius Clarkeson leads a daring drop pod assault to stop a Dark Eldar raid on the planet of Ceres. The small force of astartes buy time for civilian evacuations and inflict heavy losses, but are ultimately killed or captured. Clarkeson and a few others reappear from the same webway portal used by the Dark Eldar months later, frantically sprinting past an Eldar Farseer running in the opposite direction. **'The Oregnon Excoriation (Date Unknown.M42)' - Tedium Nugentus and 100 astartes assist Primaris Lamenters and Celestial Lions in stopping an Ork WAAAGH! on the planet Oregnon. Nugentus’ team storm a series of ork Faktorees to stop Gargant production, but discover the Faktorees are staffed by human slaves. While the 3 Astartes chapters are busy liberating the planet, the orks besiege the Faktorees in an attempt to restart production. Nugentus, his vanguards, and 8 veterans are forced into a large warehouse with 2,000 civilians as they fight this green tsunami for days. Eventually, the dead orks are used to form a wall. Only Nugentus and 4 wounded men remain with the civilians, but their allies finally arrive to relieve them just as all seems lost. Oregnon is purged of the orks a week later, and the 3 astartes chapters form a lasting bond. **'Salvation of Texaum (Date Unknown.M42)' - Alexis Jonesson leads a 200-man strike force to Texaum to retake the planet from the Red Corsairs. Their Battle Barge ‘Old Glory’ is attacked on all sides in a coordinated effort to seize their ship and strengthen the fleet. Clawing his way through the trap, Jonesson forces the damaged ship and its now depleted crew into the atmosphere and leads an all-or-nothing assault to retake the planet with an Astraeus tank as the vanguard. Timely hit and run attacks by thunderhawks and bikes whittle down the Corsairs. Jonesson and 89 marines live to see the star-striped fist raised over the compound. **'The Fifth Sphere Expansion (Date Unknown.M42)' - The Emperor’s Liberators are dispatched to repel or at least slow down the Tau 5th Sphere Expansion. One force of them conducts crippling raids against the Tau and derails their entire campaign, retaking the planet. Another force prosecutes a failed siege against a recently seized Tau planet, and is ultimately besieged in turn by the vengeful Tau to this day. The brutal stalemate has yet to be broken, and is the only precarious foothold the Imperium has on that planet. **'The Bostius Excoriation (Date Unknown.M42)' - Tedium Nugentus and 400 marines are caught off guard by the increased brutality of the Tau in the 5th Sphere Expansion. The Tau throw their auxiliaries into mass-wave tactics and slam the beleaguered marines when they managed to dig their way out of the piles of xenos and gue’vesa corpses. However, discovery of gue’la mass graves drive Nugentus’ men into a murderous frenzy and disregard a 60% casualty rate to brutally slaughter every last Tau on Bostius, the previously besieged planet. **'Castigation of Genudine (Date Unknown.M42)' - Davidius Clarkeson leads 100 marines to retake the planet Genudine from the control of a Slaneeshi cult. What seemed like a routine purge went terribly wrong when the Eldar Corsairs and Dark Eldar launched a vicious ambush in the confined hive cities. Despite heavy losses, the mauled force of 68 marines spread out and waged a relentless campaign of ambushes and raids on their assailants. Davidius Clarkeson eventually rallies his forces in a final, desperate melee against the Eldar pirates, Dark Eldar Cabals and Wytch Cults. Clarkeson and his Vanguards took on Cabal Leader Elizabeth Tarka and her cabal Hell Unrelenting and allied Wytches. Although impaled by a staff from Tarka, his rage at the vile Dark Eldar gave Clarkeson the energy to yank the staff forward and demolish Tarka’s skull from a well-aimed powerfist. After an hour-long bloodbath, Clarkeson and 18 grizzled marines would exchange numerous curses with their depleted and retreating Eldar foes. **'Assault of the Undying Legions (Date Unknown.M42)' - The Black Templars, Alexis Jonesson and 80 marines answer an Ecclesiarchy call for aid in defending a Shrine World against a Necron assault. The Sisters of Battle, Templars, and Emperor’s Liberators only defend the temple through a bloody last stand with 75% casualties. Unfortunately, the zealous Templars and Sisters are still suspicious of their allies’ methods of worship... **'Liberation of Calcius (Date Unknown.M42)' - All of Fireteam Bravo begin a campaign to liberate Calcius from the forces of Chaos. The initial lightning raids against Chaos strongholds eventually stop working as chaos cults and heretic astartes begin ferocious counter attacks. After a 2-year grisly defense against countless millions of cultists and 1,500 Emperor’s Children, DevGru reinforcements finally arrive and annihilate the maddened but exhausted heretics. A few million inhabitants are liberated from slavery and chaotic sacrifices, and are eternally grateful. **'Disaster aboard the ''Lady Liberty (Date Unknown.M42)' - The Emperor’s Liberators manage to sway 2 renegade companies of Astartes back to the Emperor’s light and let them onto one of their ships. Unknown to the chapter leadership however, the renegades only feigned loyalty and was aligning itself with Nurgle. They manage to release Ebolanthrax in the Battle Barge ''Lady Liberty, killing 90% of the un-augmented crew and over 50 marines. Furious at the deception, the Emperor’s Liberators spend the next 3 months exterminating the traitors on the Battle Barge in a vicious campaign to retake the ship. **'Defence of the Stygius Sector (Date Unknown.M42)' - In the Stygius Sector, the Emperor’s Liberators were deployed to defend the planet of Alpha Phi-06 from the might of the Thousand Sons and their Tzeenchian allies. However, the archenemy was too powerful, and made critical progress in conquering the planet. The Emperor’s Liberators then prioritized evacuating civilians, but a quarter way into the evacuation their Strike Cruiser ‘Justice’ was heavily damaged by the enemy and picked clean of its crew from a Despoiler-Battleship. Stranded on the planet with 3 million civilians to protect, the remaining 300 Emperor’s Liberators went to ground and formed a global resistance movement. While they inflicted casualties in vicious guerrilla warfare against their Thousand Sons occupiers, the grim calculus of attrition spited their every move. A few psykers managed to hone their astral communication, and send a psychic distress call to the Liberators’ Battle Barge Independence. After a 10-day gruesome last stand, only 76 Emperor’s Liberators and 500,000 partisans would survive to see a task force from the Independence relieve them. Timely air and ground support aided the evacuation of the remaining forces, and reclaimed the Justice from its orbital shackles. With a massive chaos fleet on their heels, the 2 ships finally made a warp jump to Mars for repairs, mauled and exhausted. **'Retribution Against the Tau (95.M42)- '''A joint campaign between the Emperor's Liberators and multiple chapters against a Tau Sept, to be added later. **'Thunderhawk Down (Date Unknown.M42) - Michael 'Handyman' Roweson and the Emperor's Liberators move quickly to free the planet of Tsomal from chaotic cults before it can be turned into a Demon World for Khorne. The Thunderhawk gunship carrying Roweson and 4 other Astartes is shot down by massed AA fire. The strike cruiser 'Emancipation' has forces on standby to rescue the downed squad, but relief will take an hour to arrive. Roweson jerry-rigs the Thunderhawk's weaponry for use and gets improvised traps laid across the perimeter with the help of his squad, and braces them for the onslaught to come. The first wave is easily repulsed, consisting of lightly armed cultists. The second wave involves more cultists and a few technicals, but is also repulsed with minimal difficulty. The third wave involves demon possessed cultists who manage to wound one of the astartes, but is repulsed with some difficulty. The fourth wave involves a full scale assault by demons, demon possessed cultists, and even World Eaters astartes. Halfway into the 4th assault, a fifth wave full of World Eater astartes, lesser demons, a few Brass Scorpions, and countless thousands of cultists begin to swamp the downed craft. Ammunition runs low as the traps are expended and most of the marines save for Roweson are incapacitated. Roweson manages to slay a World Eaters chaos lord despite grievous injuries, but is completely exhausted in a pool of blood and fire. Just as the darkness and swarms of heretics overtake him, Repulsors and Overlords stream in from out of nowhere and drench the heretics in munitions. Roweson's battered body is recovered and will ultimately heal, but all save one of his Astartes compatriots that fought with him are given posthumous 3-rank promotions. Franklin Johnson is interred in a Redemptor Dreadnought. The planet Tsomal is eventually liberated from the forces of Khorne. **'The Last Laugh (Date Unknown.M42) - '''Harrison 'The Magician' Houdinium is on the Strike Cruiser 'Justice' when it gets stuck in the warp. His psychic skills are put to the ultimate test as demons flood the bowels of the ship and threaten to claim it and its crew forever. The only hope is supercharging the Gellar Field temporarily to ward the demon infestation off. Harrison handpicks a squad of the finest Techmarines and Terminators to reach the Gellar Field device and overcharge it. Houdinium would have to fend off waves of demons including a particularly powerful one named 'Fiend of Graydor'. Before it could possess Ronald, he used a lance of pure energy that obliterated the demon and banished it. With the Gellar Field supercharged, the infestation was repelled and Raegus managed to guide the ship out of the warp. Only a fifth of the crew survived. **'The Outbreak (Date Unknown.M42) - 'Benjamin 'Doc' Carsonius and 25 Emperor's Liberators are on the planet of Centurius when a plague specially crafted by Nurgulite followers begins turning the population into zombies. The Holy Hospitallers are dispatched to the planet to assist in combatting the zombie plague. The objective is to contain the plague while creating a cure for it. Carsonius and a squad of Hospitallers and Liberators deduce that a blood sample of every variation of undead is required to synthesize a cure. Knowing this, they arm themselves to the teeth and move into the Hive City of Alyash, the first one to fall to the zombie plague. Surrounded on all sides, they fight their way through countless Nurgulite monstrosities until they find the Alpha Beast, the strongest of the undead hordes that utilizes the strengths of all the various undead monsters. After hours of desperate fighting, it is Carsonius who manages to land multiple well-placed bolter rounds into the monster's skull in close quarters, and hacks it to pieces with his power sword. Samples in hand, 8 members of the squad including Carsonius return to base and a cure is synthesized for the surviving population. Reinforcements finally quell the remaining zombie menace after 2 months of bitter fighting. **'A Rebellion Too Far (Date Unknown.M42) - 'The planet of Submission is lead by Planetary Governor Joshua Johnson Wardius, a powerful and ruthless slaver. Life on Submission is one where slavery is rampant and misery amongst such slaves is high. A few zealous members of the Emperor's Liberators were horrified, disgusted, and infuriated at the conditions these slaves were in. Making matters worse is that the slaves were not there for crimes they committed, which meant the governor was a petty tyrant. The 15 Emperor's Liberators present decided that Wardius was an evil man unfit to rule, and overthrew him and his followers in a quick yet violent coup. The planet's slave population was freed. However, it turned out the governor was entrusted by the Inquisition itself to form a defensive line in the sector. The slaves were a necessary evil, whose labor helped form the industry of the planet that helped supply the system. With the slave industry permanently disrupted, the planets in the system suffered catastrophic supply failures that resulted in the eventual fall of half the system to Chaotic incursions. The Emperor's Liberators, and the ones formerly on Battlement, would not be aware of this reality until it was far too late... **'The Final Siege of Battlement (Date Unknown.M42) - '''Tzeentch sends a demonic invasion force to Battlement in order to provoke the arrival of the Grey Knights, who will surely purge the world’s population to prevent the spread of chaos. The source of the invasion comes from the Word Bearers in Death Alley, who summon these demons through mass rituals. Combined raids by the Emperor’s Liberators and Agents of Liberty arrive too late, and an entire demonic army is summoned. These demons are stopped 100 miles short of The Hexagon and Albus Domus at great cost, but the real damage has yet to be done. The advance was only stopped with the timely arrival of 150 Grey Knights. The forces of Chaos were annihilated from Battlement. The Grey Knights, in their usual fashion, begin purges of the cities and general population of Battlement. Executive Davidius Clarkeson, who was completely unaware of the Grey Knights and their M.O. until now, fires on the Grey Knights and orders his Fireteam to eliminate the presence of the Grey Knights. The two chapters are locked in brutal warfare for months, with the outnumbered Knights inflicting brutal casualties before being forced to withdraw. 240 Liberators were killed at a cost of 90 Knights. *The Reckoning (Date Unknown.M42) - ALPHA LEVEL CLEARANCE REQUIRED' *'A Helping Hand (Date Unknown.M42) -''' The Eldar Craftworld of Re'fuhge was in a desperate search for Eldar Soul Stones that belonged to its people. The stones were stolen by Slaneeshi and Tzeentchian forces, including those from the Emperor's Children and Thousand Sons. The Eldar Farseer who decided to recruit the Emperor's Liberators was none other than Farseer Elizabeth, the Farseer who sprinted past Executive Davidius Clarkeson on Ceres to escape from the Marines Malevolent. She remembered that Clarkeson wasn't hostile when he encountered her, and thought he could be reasoned with (especially in his situation). She pledged to Clarkeson that she'd send her Craftworld to aid Battlement (if the need arose), if he aided the Eldar in finding these Soul Stones. Clarkeson Begrudgingly agreed and enlisted Ronald 'The Magician' Raegus with 50 other Liberators to recover these soul stones from the clutches of the traitor legions on the planet of Stagan. The Eldar and space marines used various fast attack vehicles to swoop into the Chaotic compound and quickly steal back the stones before the enemy could realize what was happening. It was a hectic chase until the Eldar and Liberators managed to fight their way out of the battle zone and escape, but the soul stones were in hand. Farseer Elizabeth, grateful for the aid, pledged to defend Battlement if the day ever came that the Inquisition would burn the planet. *'Tech Lore (Date Unknown.M42)' - STCs recovered from a space hulk are bargained for a greatly reduced role they play in the Inquisition's possible attack on Battlement. The Space Hulk nicknamed 'Big Rock' is sighted while the Independence ''is flying out on patrol. Executive Alexis Jonesson takes a team of veterans with him to purge the Space Hulk and scavenge whatever the chapter can find. Despite rising casualties, Jonesson's force manages to push through the space hulk and purge it of Ork Freebooterz and Genestealers after 2 weeks of frenetic warfare. Amazingly, Jonesson's team not only finds an STC, but a functional Ironclad warship. The Warship is currently still in the process of being refitted for duty near Battlement, but the STC was handled by Michael Roweson and delivered to Mars. In exchange for the STC, he demands that the Mechanicus remove their involvement in a future retaliatory attack on Battlement. Reluctantly, they agree to the terms. After all, an STC, even if it's one that's just a refined version of the Shock Maul. Unknown to the Mechanicus, Roweson already copied the data beforehand. *'Bitter Ironies (Date Unknown.M42)- A favor is done for a radical Inquisitor with a noticeable amount of pull in the organization. In exchange, the Inquisitor will persuade the organization to postpone their assault of Battlement for other things more important. Radical Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Franklin Paradum is in desperate need of aid against a demonic invasion led by a greater demon of Khorne. The only way to defeat this demon is to find a long-hidden artifact called the 'Glove of Defiance', a demonic powerfist imbued with psychic potential that could kill other demons. Paradum was past caring about the use of chaotic artifacts, willing to take risks to ensure success. Nobody was able to help him except the underlings he already had due to the amount of enemies the Imperium was facing, and the threat was great. Through unknown means, the Emperor's Liberators heard of this crisis that the Inquisitor was in. In exchange for finding this artifact to destroy the demon, the Inquisitor was to use his influence in the Inquisition to help them reconsider burning Battlement (or at the very least, get the Inquisition to temporarily turn its attention elsewhere). The Inquisitor, relieved at how trivial this request was, happily agreed and enlisted the aid of the Liberators. Executive Tedium Nugentus and Ben 'Doc' Carsonius (with some other men from the chapter) assisted Paradum in finding the artifact, which was eventually reclaimed from a planet overrun by Orks after weeks of desperate fighting. The task force of Liberators and Paradum's forces then sped to the planet of Khardum in order to bring the fight to the greater demon of Khorne. After a month-long campaign, the Liberators and Paradum's forces destroyed the greater demon's forces and freed the planet. *'Operation Goodwill (Date Unknown.M42 - Present)- '''The Emperor's Liberators continue to aid the Imperium against its many foes, struggling to prove they aren't traitors and to forestall the inevitable day the Inquisition turns its attention towards Battlement. Chapter Organization The Emperor’s Liberators are mostly non-Codex compliant. The chapter only utilizes any tactics deemed useful. They hover around 1,776 marines. The chapter is split into 3 semi-autonomous groups: Fireteam Alpha (nicknamed The Deltas), Fireteam Bravo (nicknamed Liberty Lads), and Fire team Charlie (nicknamed Devastation Group or DevGru for short). There are 3 Executives in the entire chapter, and each one leads a Fireteam. In times of great crisis, the 3 Executives hold a meeting and unite their Fireteams to face the threat. Each Executive is accompanied by 4 members of the Emancipators, highly decorated veterans equipped with some of the best weapons and armor, and second in line for the position of Executive. These men are an Executive’s closest confidants. Each fighting group is maintained by well-treated serfs who may work alongside Battlement’s Imperial Guard Regiment, the Agents of Liberty. The chapter’s fleet, soldiers, and equipment are evenly divided between each fighting group. All Astartes are trained for one of 7 roles: Intercessor, Inceptor, Hellblaster, Reiver, Aggressor, Medic (Apothecary), or Engineer (Tech-Marine). Being proficient in at least one extra role is required. After surviving 100 battles, one becomes a veteran with the right to use terminator weapons and armor. When Guilliman reinforced the Imperium with Primaris Marines, the Emperor’s Liberators saw these reinforcements and their equipment as a Godsend. Cultural assimilation took some time, but the process was smooth. The chapter mostly relied on Thunderhawks, Stormhawks, Land-Speeders, and other highly mobile vehicles that fit the chapter’s tactics. Their ability to attack has and still does rely on those vehicles, while heavier or slower vehicles are saved for larger assaults and fighting on defense. After the Primaris reinforcement, the chapter would see the Overlord gunships, 3 Astraeus and 45 Repulsor tanks as a massive boon to their armory and tactics. The new vehicles were devastating and mobile. The 2 new tanks greatly complement the chapter’s 4 land raiders. Their fleet is made up of 3 Battle Barges, 6 Strike Cruisers, and 9 Gladius escorts, with these assets being evenly split between the fighting groups. The Forge World of Pittsbrigg handles the chapter's logistics out of gratitude to repulsing a Necron tomb awakening on said forge world. As of The Reckoning, the chapter actively scavenges and salvages weapons and equipment from enemy forces it fights, even if they're aligned with Chaos. Whatever can't be purified is destroyed. Additionally, the Agents of Liberty fight alongside the chapter. Command Ranks *'Executive - Chapter Master equivalent. *'Emancipator' - Honor Guard equivalent. Seniority is based on time as an Emancipator. *'Doc' - Master of the Apothecarion equivalent. *'Handyman' - Master of the Forge equivalent, senior Techmarine. *'Preacher' - Reclusiarch equivalent, senior Chaplain. *''The'' Magician - Chief Librarian equivalent. *'Revolutionary - '''Veteran Equivalent. Seniority is based on time as a veteran. Specialist Ranks *'Medic''' - Apothecary equivalent. *'Engineer' - Techmarine equivalent. *'Librarian' *'Chaplain' *'Flagbearer' - Standard Bearer (Ancient) equivalent. *'Shieldman- '''A non-codex unit. Originally made up of Emperor's Liberators scouts and Agents of Liberty during the revolution against the Tau, these soldiers scrounged whatever material was on hand to fortify their positions or safe-houses against inevitable Tau retaliatory strikes. They scavenged metal, wood, plasteel, and other fragments of durable material to make themselves a much harder target. Today, these specialized Emperor's Liberators carry a specially-made metal barrier called the InstaWall and various metal plates for the same purpose. These soldiers greatly enhance a squad's defensive capabilities. Line Ranks *'Liberator '- Battle-Brother equivalent. Most senior line rank. *'Maverick '- Battle-Brother equivalent. Second in seniority. *'Vigilante '- Battle Brother equivalent. Rank given to full-fledge astartes. *'Ensign''' - Scout Marine equivalent. *'Private' - Neophyte equivalent. Combat Doctrine The Emperor’s Liberators are specialists in close-quarters combat, stealth, guerrilla warfare, and defending against sieges. Winning an entire revolution against Tau occupation and surviving a relentless chaotic invasion forced these skills to be perfected. The present day sees the chapter constantly fighting against technologically and/or numerically superior foes. Sometimes the stealthy and devastating surprise attacks are enough to win battles and wars, but in many scenarios it falls to the chapter’s ability to dig its heels in and turn their perimeter into an impregnable killzone until help arrives or the enemy is dead. Because the Emperor’s Liberators are constantly in last-stand type situations, it is not uncommon for Astartes of all ranks to use Inferno, Hellfire, Kraken, and Metal Storm bolter rounds. These rounds have shown deadly efficiency against enemy swarms in particular, though no enemy will fare well against the fury of such firepower. When fighting against Chaos, the Vengeance round is brought along specifically to bring down the vile, power armored tyrants of Chaos (though such rounds are also effective against comparatively well armored foes). Although non-veteran personnel don’t have access to combi-bolters, some of them do have access to underslung grenade launchers that fire Krak or Frag rounds. The different types of bolters used by the Primaris Marines are also employed, but include said bullet modifications just in case. In assaults involving vehicles, thunderhawks and overlords will bring the marines into a designated position while providing air support. Bikes and other rapid land vehicles will also be used to get marines into position or commit to deadly hit-and-run assaults. Depending on the mission, said marines will sneak into an advantageous position for an ambush, a stronghold to wreak havoc, or a defensive position. In the instance of a massed frontal assault (to liberate occupied planets), a large force made of an Astraeus and multiple Repulsors will advance with thunderhawk and overlord support while reivers and inceptors will conduct stealthy and high speed raids to weaken the enemy. Orbital bombardment is deployed as well, since speed and overwhelming firepower will be needed. The Shieldmen of the Liberators use a special gadget called the InstaWall. The InstaWall, made of the same metals that compose Terminator Armor, are special deployable barriers that greatly increase the defensibility of any position. The InstaWall is joined by 3 pieces of metal that can be folded out to cover a wider area. The metal pieces also hold a pocket filled with even more of this metal, that is hoisted up to the height of the average Astartes. The result is a wide-reaching and tall barrier that 3 Astartes or 6 regular humans can take cover behind. The barrier is capable of the same level of resistance as Terminator Armor. Chapter Homeworld: Battlement Battlement is a temperate planet with an un-settled moon and a yellow i0 star. The surface is well-developed but lacks the hive worlds of other more developed planets. It has roughly 2 billion people living in said cities and the surrounding countryside. Further out are thick and far reaching forests, deserts, and ice caps. The planet also has a very large ocean. Fortress-Monastery: Albus Domus, The Hexagon The Albus Domus is the official Fortress-Monastery of the chapter. Originally, it was the remains of a crashed Battle Barge during the Imperial uprising against the Tau on Battlement. However, upon the war's end it was rebuilt into a massive fortress and HQ for the chapter. There's a massive underground bunker complex that can reliably house civilians and soldiers, and cater to their needs and a few desires. The building itself is multiple stories high, with numerous rooms and hallways. The Albus Domus has one massive room that can hold the entire chapter, and is meant to hold important items or hold chapter meetings. The building is encased in ferrocrete, marble, and ceramite. The building is strapped with the remains of crew-served weapons from the wrecked Battle Barge, as well as various additions. Snipers are posted on the building and mounted AA-cannons flank the area. The planetary governor lives in a specially designated room, as do key personnel. The Albus Domus also has the latest in technology designed for the purpose of communications, sensory functions, defenses, and shielding. Some of it is rumored to be salvaged Tau technology. The exact composition of the Albus Domus' technology is highly classified information known only to the highest echelons of command from the Emperor's Liberators. While the chapter uses the often credible excuse that it's for protection against the constant Iron Warriors and Word Bearers sieges, other detractors think the Emperor's Liberators have something to hide. The first floor of the building contains the most important rooms and is used by the chapter. It has the 'Library of Liberty', which holds the most sacred texts of the chapter. Inquisitor Markius Zucken would make his now infamous final push to scour this room of the chapter's entire history and culture. This room is also used for study of various texts the chapter has access to, for whatever reason. Another large room exists that serves as the chapter armory and forge. Executive Tedium Nugentus made a point of hoarding weapons during the rebellion against the Tau, and sought to ensure the chapter maintained this tradition later on. This room does not just hold the various weapons and armor that the chapter uses, but also various scavenged weaponry from alien foes. Most of these alien weapons come from the Tau. Whatever alien weaponry can't be immediately used in battle is stored here, where the tech-marines work to get them working. After all, the chapter is Renegade, and needs all the weapons that it can get. The forge area also exists, where the chapter creates, modifies, and repairs its wargear. In addition, there's a firing range, dining hall, and a fighting ring for entertainment. Perhaps the most important room is the Power Area, which holds the various plasma generators that power the building. This is one of the most heavily guarded areas in the entire building, for if anything bad happened to the generators, the entire building could be reduced to a smoldering crater. Every floor above the first one contains luxurious rooms for entertainment and housing of Battlement's politicians and celebrated guests. It's also an open secret on Battlement that there's an underground floor nicknamed 'Floor Zero', which is a subterranean command bunker for Battlement's leaders and the leaders of the chapter. Its heavily guarded, secretive nature suggests there's more under here than the chapter is letting on... The Hexagon is the command center for both the Chapter and the Agents of Liberty, Battlement's designated Guard regiment. As its name suggests it is in the shape of a Hexagon, but built with the same materials as the Albus Domus and outfitted with the same technology. There are 3 floors in this massive structure. The first floor is similar in nature to the Albus Domus but is tailored for un-augmented humans. However, the other 2 floors are essentially office areas that hold the intelligence apparatus of the Agents of Liberty. These floors also contain the military bureaucracy of Battlement and the Agents of Liberty, where important military and civilian leaders meet when necessary. There is a specially built 'Hall of Valor' that has been rebuilt after The Reckoning to accommodate the fallen warriors of the Agents of Liberty. A similar room exists in the Albus Domus, though it's for fallen Emperor's Liberators. This building is also heavily fortified, and a symbol of power for the Agents of Liberty. Chapter Beliefs & Traditions The Emperor’s Liberators worship the Emperor as a divine liberator and freedom fighter for humanity. The various xenos are tyrants who kill and subvert their way to power, but Chaos is a whole different beast. Chaos as a whole is the living embodiment of tyranny, given the nickname ‘The Great Tyrant’. This is due in no small part to Chaos’ ongoing effort to enslave humanity, and their actions during the Horus Heresy. As such, their mission is to continue the Emperor’s mission of freeing humanity from the tyrants of alien or chaotic origin (though the state of the Imperium is an irony not lost on the chapter). This constant anti-authoritarian dogma has ensured that the Emperor's Liberators thus far have resisted Chaotic corruption. This dogma will be sorely put to the test. The Inquisition has branded the chapter as renegades, and the Chaos Gods managed to corrupt even the most loyal Imperial servants before. Due to Battlement being the chapter’s besieged homeworld, all recruitment and testing takes place on the planet’s battlefields. All volunteers (war leaves plenty of orphans) at least 10 years of age endure tests of the body and soul for 6 months, then treated to a great party and say goodbye to their friends and family. It’s a courtesy to those who likely won’t survive implantation. Throughout the implantation, recruits are expected to be well versed in Terran and historical documents that preach the values of liberty and justice, like 984.M2 and Independence: 776.M2. Knowledge of the Horus Heresy is mandatory. Recruits are trained in stealth, guerrilla tactics, marksmanship, close-quarters combat, survival, evasion, escaping capture, and resisting torture or capture attempts (most xenos races and Chaos worshippers take prisoners!), squad tactics, counter-intel/surveillance, demolitions, psyker training where applicable, and defensive warfare. A veteran astartes leads squads of the recruits in battle, who must remember their training just to survive. These squads always take the most dangerous tasks. This continues until implantation is complete or the recruit dies. Although the requirement to pass training is to simply survive, there are some methods of survival that are unbecoming of the Star Spangled Fist. The veteran officer attached to these squads will mete out a severe punishment to any recruit who calls upon such disdainful methods, which can range from becoming a servitor to taking on a suicidal task with no support. Upon the completion of implantation, the recruits are recalled and there’s another massive party. The last step to full initiation requires the recruit to give the following oath: "I, an Emperor’s Liberator, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Divinity of the Imperium of Man against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the God Emperor of Mankind and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of The Imperial Creed. So help me God." Upon giving this oath, they are now fully fledged Astartes of the Emperor’s Liberators. When they are not on mission, they have a set but flexible schedule. Every morning, they have a 1 hour sermon by a chaplain. After that, they recite one of their chapter oaths: “I pledge allegiance to the divinity of the Imperium of Mankind, and to the Imperium for which it stands, one Empire under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” After this pledge of loyalty, they will continue rigorous training to sharpen their skills at whatever role they selected. This training lasts the whole evening. For the last 6 hours of the day, the Astartes have the night to themselves. The date 776.M2 is considered highly sacred, thus the last 2 digits ‘76 are engraved on their knee pads. An individual Emperor's Liberator is well versed in anti-authoritarian lore and great at telling such stories to their allies. Chaplains especially have essentially memorized famous last stands like the Alamu or otherwise grand acts of defiance against perceived tyrants. A number of Marines are enthusiastic to spread the ideas of freedom and liberty across Tau and Chaos occupied planets, hoping to convert said populations back to the Emperor's Light and give them the emancipation they crave. For this reason, marines are known to practice their oratory skills on a regular basis when off duty. There is also a chapter-wide tournament called Marine Martial Arts, and is hugely popular. It's a test of a marine's unarmed martial prowess, and is fought until a knockout. Another tournament called Marine Blade Arts is a test of skill with bladed weaponry which is fought until first blood, and is equally popular. Champions from these fights are eligible for promotions to veterancy if the other requirements are met, but it's also a method to settle disputes, pass the time, or sharpen skills. The chapter places an extremely high priority on protecting civilians and their allies whenever possible. Unless the Liberators are fighting a priority target, the wellbeing of civilians and friendly forces comes first. It should come as no surprise then that chapters with a lack of regard for civilian life are not on speaking terms with the Liberators, while to opposite can be said for like-minded chapters like the Salamanders or Space Wolves. Unfortunately, protection of civilians isn't enough for the Liberators. Their ideas are extremely controversial in the Adeptus Astartes and almost universally despised in the Inquisition (especially the Ordo Hereticus). 'Freedom' is almost akin to a curse word when held up to Imperial dogma, and would have made the chapter Excommunicate Traitoris on the spot if it weren't for their previous deeds. Given recent events, this issue has only been exacerbated. Chapter Gene-Seed Their gene-seed origins are unknown. Primarch's Curse: N/A Deathwatch Service The chapter has a healthy disdain for aliens as all Astartes chapters do, but have a frothing-at-the-mouth hatred for the Tau and Dark Eldar. The Deathwatch takes care to use such eagerness to kill these particular xenos to their advantage, and thus the Emperor's Liberators are unusually present on assignments involving these xenos species. Michael "Handyman" Roweson is the most famous Emperor's Liberator to enlist in the Deathwatch, and has slew innumerable Tau and Dark Eldar in his service. Roweson's most famous act was jerry-rigging Tau heavy rail rifles and turning them against other enemy Battlesuits during the revolution on Battlement. As such, he was the perfect man for the job when he was eyed by Deathwatch. Roweson slings a modified railgun on his back in addition to his Barrage Plasma Gun and plasma pistol. These weapons undoubtedly proved useful during his kill-team's deployment against Tau incursions and probes, especially by their vaunted Battlesuits. Chapter Fleet *''Independence'' (Battle Barge)- '''Gifted by the Indomitus Crusade. *Old Glory (Battle Barge)- Gifted by the Indomitus Crusade. *Lady Liberty (Battle Barge)- Gifted by the Indomitus Crusade. *6 Unknown Strike Cruisers and 9 Gladius Frigates. Gifted by the Indomitus Crusade. *Freedom One ''(Ironclad)- '''A recently recovered Ironclad from a Space Hulk, which is being refitted for use as a massive armed space station above Battlement. Chapter Relics *Avenger'' (Assault Cannon): This assault cannon has existed on Battlement for thousands of years, said to have been crafted in the Horus Heresy. Named after a famous minigun from Terra, this autocannon has a faster rate of fire than many in its class, as well as a heavily modified drum magazine with extended capacity. Tedium Nugentus would gather this weapon as he scrounged for supplies during the revolution, and kept it for himself. He would further modify it over the years, making it have a lighter weight and ultimately mounted on his forearm while maintaining all of its devastating power. From the Alamu to Oregnon, this weapon will never leave Nugentus' side. Mysteriously, this weapon's rate of fire and magazine capacity dramatically improves against Orks, who have named Nugentus "MoarDakka". *''Fire and Fury'' (Combi-Flamer): A master-crafted bolter was built 5,000 years ago for the 5th company Captain of what eventually became the Emperor's Liberators. When this soldier later died, Tedium Nugentus brought it back with his extensively gathered (and illegal) arsenal. Alexis Jonesson at the time preferred his custom built flamer, but couldn't leave such a master-crafted Bolter to waste. After some time with a gunsmith, he built his flamethrower into the Bolter. With tungsten-tipped bolt shells and thrice sanctified promethium, the new weapon has burned and blasted countless foes since its creation. The flamer has been modified as a gift from the Salamanders, and its fuel has been mixed with the blood of freedom fighters. Ork Warbosses, Tau Ethereals, Dark Eldar leaders, and Markius Zucken himself have all been incinerated by this flamer. *''Barbecue'' (Combi-Melta): Davidius Clarkeson needed his melta to keep Tau armor and Battlesuits at bay, but stayed frustrated at the massive range that Tau Fire Warriors could engage him at. Clarkeson would be all too happy when he was gifted a custom-built bolter by Tedium Nugentus halfway through the revolution against Battlement's Tau overlords. The bolt shells are lined with special-built depleted uranium rounds while Clarkeson's melta has densely packed gasses with a larger tank. With a larger tank with denser gasses, enemies in close distance are loathe to stay in his way. *''Dirty Job ''(Barrage Plasma Gun): A plasma weapon forged on Ryza during the Great Crusade, this barrage plasma gun features an even higher rate of fire than normal weapons of its kind. It's perhaps a sort of test, as rapid fire plasma weaponry is exponentially more dangerous to use. Thanks to his quick actions (and the power of his new plasma gun), Michael Roweson saved his squad from a combined Pathfinder and Stealthsuit ambush. Roweson to this day takes special care of this weapon, and has slew countless aliens and traitors with it to this day. *'The Neurosurgeon' ('Special-Issue Boltgun): A master-crafted bolter, this weapon has been outfitted for long range engagements thanks to its scope and barrel attachments. Of course, none of the efficiency has been lost at close range. Carsonius has sniped plenty of foes with this weapon, and the devastating chain of headshots to this weapon's credit has given the weapon its rightful name. * ''Vanishing Acts ''(Hesh Bolt Pistol): Specially modified version of these pistosl that also carries Ensorcelled Rounds. It was crafted by a tech priest during the days of the Horus Heresy, and has endured since. With a larger magazine and higher rate of fire, Harrison will always have the staying power of his more well armed squad-mates. * '''''984. M2: A hard copy of the famous novel from ancient Terran history is kept inside of stasis. The tales of this novel are expected to be remembered by all Emperor's Liberators, and Agents of Liberty must have at least a solid grasp of the novel's lessons. Replicas of this book are kept in stasis on all chapter Battle Barges, and a special room in the Albus Domus. Inquisitor Markius Zucken has his reservations of the book however, and may not be alone... * ''Independence: 776. M2: ''A replica of the original historical document of a former Terran nation, whose citizens brought the document with them to Battlement. Its lines are etched throughout the Albus Domus, and an Emperor's Liberator must be able to recite it all from memory. Agents of Liberty must have a thorough understanding of the document. Replicas of this document are kept in stasis on all chapter Battle Barges, and a special room in the Albus Domus. Inquisitor Markius Zucken has his reservations of the book however, and may not be alone... *''Celsius 232.778: ''Another ancient Terran novel that preaches anti-authoritarian values, specifically on the censorship of information. Replicas of this book are kept in stasis on all chapter Battle Barges, and a special room in the Albus Domus. Like the other historical documents, a firm understanding of this novel is mandatory. Unsurprisingly, the upper echelons of Imperial authority and the particular groups in the Inquisition are not pleased by this novel's existence... Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours The Emperor's Liberators primarily wear red, white and blue coloured battle-plate - with red symbolising hardiness, valor and the blood shed by the Chapter's battle-brothers to defend and liberate Mankind; white symbolises purity and innocence; blue represents vigilance, perseverance, freedom, and justice. The helmet, shoulder pauldron trim, coutres (elbow guards), vambraces (forearms), gauntlet, poleyns (knee guards) greaves and sabatons (boots) are all coloured blue. The backpack, gorget (neck guard), plastron (chest guard) and cuisses (thigh armour) are coloured red. The shoulder pauldron insets are coloured white. A vertical white stripe adorns the helmet, while a silver skull on the forehead indicates a battle-brother of rank. A red coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Veteran) stenciled on the right shoulder pauldron inset, indicates a battle-brother's assigned combat specialty. Sometimes a white colour gothic numeral stenciled on the left poleyn indicates company assignment, while a blue coloured gothic numeral stenciled on the right shoulder pauldron inset indicates squad assignment. As the Imperial date, 776.M2 is a date in history that is considered highly sacred to the Chapter, the last two digits '76 are often engraved on each poleyn. Chapter Badge The Emperor's Liberators Chapter badge is a stylised blue coloured clenched fist - a symbol of solidarity and support to express unity, strength, defiance or resistance. On the top of the icon, the High-Gothic word Libertatum is centrally placed, which means 'Liberty'. Below this word are a variety of rows of triple-red coloured stars and alternating rows of red and white bars with three small blue coloured stars placed on these bars. Notable Members * Executive Davidius Clarkeson: Orphaned after a TGB raid during Battlement’s occupation, he immediately joined the then-fledgeling Agents of Liberty and was an eager participant in their missions. He was a distinguished member of the Ranger detachment by the time the Astartes arrived, and one of the first volunteers for gene-seed implantation. Clarkeson was later kidnapped by the Dark Eldar in one of their infamous terror raids on Ceres, but lead a successful slave rebellion in Commoragh and escaped with other enslaved Astartes scouts. Many of these scouts died, and would weigh heavily on Clarkeson’s soul forever. The Dark Eldar to this day have a massive bounty on Clarkeson’s head, and Clarkeson has been forced to ward off capture attempts by the Ork Freebooterz, Dark Eldar, Red Corsairs, and the other nefarious fiends the galaxy has to offer. This drove him to seek better relations with the Salamanders, Raven Guard, and Space Wolves, in an effort to sharpen his skills. He became promoted to Executive of The Deltas, and has a jump-pack as a homage to his time in the Agents of Liberty’s Ranger detachment. Clarkeson also has artificer armor, a power fist, and a combi-melta. (Credit to Wu from the 40K Theories Discord server.) * Executive Alexis 'Preacher' Jonesson: Ran a radio station known for its outlandish conspiracy theories. By the time of the Tau occupation, his station became the most popular resistance vox network on Battlement, and was instrumental in gathering public support and backlash against the Tau. First, the Earth Caste-led company named ’Vesa-Book (‘Vesa slang for Gue’vesa) tried to ban him from the vox-waves and wipe away his content. Upon failure, the TGB and gue’vesa allies would attempt many raids to arrest Jonesson, but he’d repulse them or escape. When the revolution came to a head, Jonesson would take up arms and become one of the posterboys for the Agents of Liberty. As a heavily decorated and dedicated soldier, he would be among the first volunteers for gene-seed implantation. Upon full victory, he would discover that a full third of Battlement’s population was either killed or sterilized after the Tau put chemicals into the waters near rebellious areas. His biggest fear was realized: not that his theories would be wrong, but that they were right. After the rebellion, he would stay on-world for a few years to shore up public support against the forces of chaos and kill multiple Chaos champions. He was voted to the position of Executive of Fireteam Bravo, and doubles as the head Chaplain. He has a crozius and a combi-flamer to complement his artificer armor. (Credit to Algrim Whitefang.) * Executive Tedium Nugentus: One of the most ardent advocates of personal liberty, he became incensed at the Tau’s steady erosion of civil liberties over the years. He fervently maintains that it all started when the Tau forbade weapon ownership. Wary of what this decree would inevitably lead to, he began hoarding Imperial las-weaponry as well as ‘Armalite’, ‘Bushmaster’, and ‘Colt’ pattern autoguns, and later became the Agents of Liberty’s prime armorer and supplier of weaponry. His great marksmanship would aid him greatly as he underwent gene-seed implantation as soon as he could, and fought his way through the process to become an Astartes. Upon becoming an Astartes he would carry a relic "Avenger" pattern assault cannon (which has given him the nickname MoarDakka by the orks) and a power sword, under the protection of his artificer armor. He currently commands DevGru. * Michael "Handyman" Roweson: Michael Roweson fought for the Agents of Liberty since the earliest days of the rebellion against the Tau. Prior to the war, he was forced by the Tau to join the earth caste and assist in manufacturing of war technology. One of the only reasons they survived was because they managed to commandeer, hijack, and jerry-rig Tau weaponry (including some of their vaunted drones and Battlesuits). Roweson's ingenuity was behind all of these endeavors. Michael was one of the many volunteers for astartes implantation when their space marine allies crashed onto the planet. He would later take a leading role in repairing their many vehicles stuck in the crashed Battle Barge, ensuring the Agents of Liberty and their allies could have greater protection against the Tau. His abilities to hack and hijack Tau weaponry made him a valuable asset during the war, and saved countless lives during the war on Battlement. Upon the war's end, he managed to survive implantation and aided in converting the crashed Battle Barge into a fortress monastery. Roweson engineered critical defenses during Battlement's chaotic invasion, and managed to survive until the Indomitus Crusade arrived. He went to Mars for tech-marine training and returned even more tech-savvy than before, although he had to hide his willingness to utilize xenotech or innovate until he returned to his chapter. Some time later, he was scouted by Deathwatch and became a high ranking tech-marine, who was extremely eager to take on Dark Eldar and Tau threats. His skills were put to the test when his team was tasked with helping the AdMech recover a downed Warlord Titan as the Tau tried to seize it. At great cost and half of his team, the Titan was recovered and many Tau weapons were used to their fullest extent against the enemy. He was rewarded a Barrage Plasma gun by his fellow Deathwatch tech-marines, and augmented his artificer plasma pistol and chainsword. He managed to sneak a Tau railgun back with him as well, and aids his home chapter to this day. * Benjamin 'Doc' Carsonius: The head apothecary of the chapter. A gentle and caring man, he has a quiet voice. His temper against those who slight him or his enemies in combat however is fearsome and ferocious, and could've proved disastrous if left uncontrolled. Managing this temper required a healthy study of the Imperial Creed. On Battlement, Carsonius used to live in the poor neighborhood of the city of Michigus. His path made it all the more unlikely that he'd ever become as well-learned as a head apothecary, given that he used to spend all his time with the local gangs. That all changed when the Tau invaded. Since Michigus was a population of mostly Gue'la, the Tau ruled with a heavy hand and it was a matter of time before their draconian measures yielded casualties. One of them was his mother, when the Tau raided his neighborhood. Benjamin tried in vain to save his mother but had no idea how to treat her wounds. This drove Benjamin to master the profession of medicine and surgery in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. He served with the Agents of Liberty during the revolution, seeking to bolster his skills while getting vengeance against the Tau. When the astartes made planetfall, Benjamin would volunteer for implantation so he could use his expanding skill set in the service of the Emperor's Angels. His medical skills were credited with saving so many Astartes and Agents of Liberty, that he would be promoted to head apothecary before the war's end. He continues to do his job diligently to this day. * Harrison '''The ''Magician' Houdinium: A charismatic psyker and firebrand early in the revolution. He was blind as a child, and had to rely on what he'd later realize were psychic powers. He used his powers initially for self preservation and entertainment, but the Tau invasion would shift Harrison's path entirely. He found other psykers who knew how to use their power and helped train with them. His powers (as were other like-minded psykers) were actually the lynchpin of the strategy to fight the Tau. The harbingers of Intrigue would lend further assistance to mastering Harrison's psychic powers, along with the librarians of the Astartes when they made planetfall. Harrison, senior members of the Harbingers of Intrigue, and Astartes librarians were the tip of the spear when it came to fighting the Tau throughout the war. Harrison himself was also a psychic beacon that relayed messages of freedom across the population, safe from the censorious effects of Tau technology. When the forces of chaos would invade decades later, everything Harrison learned would be put to the test when the Harbingers of Intrigue made their true allegiance known. The aforementioned cult, along with a growing presence of demons, would push Harrison to his absolute limits in terms of strength. These demons and senior cultists would leave stinging defeats of Harrison and his allies many times. Only his faith in the Emperor and himself could steel his nerve as he participated in many desperate stands against Chaos, gaining psychic experience in blood. This would culminate in him banishing a demon and vanquishing the possessed Word Bearers chaos lord responsible for the invasion of Battlement. Since that day, he has become the foremost psyker on all of Battlement and the chapter, imparting his hard-fought experience onto newer psykers while empowering his allies to fight the endless battle for human liberty. Relations Allies You are welcome to add your homebrew chapter or guard regiment as an ally below: *'Celestial Lions ' *'Space Wolves ' - The Anti authoritarian values and their willingness to fight fang and claw for civilians has ensured that the Space Wolves and Emperor's Liberators fit in like a glove. The Liberators admire the numerous instances where the Wolves have stood up to Inquisitorial brutality, most notably during the Months of Shame. On the Hive World of Califorcus, a vicious offensive by the Wolves smashed through Word Bearer and Thousand Son-led cults. The assault didn't just succeed because of the Wolves' brutality, but because the cults and heretic Astartes were driven to spend much of their strength trying to dislodge small pockets of Liberators (who were protecting hundreds of thousands of civilians from being sacrificed to summon demons) after these same forces spent months sending stealthy raids against the forces of Chaos. The attacks failed against the well entrenched Liberators, and the Space Wolves attack against the traitors was like a hammer smashing into an anvil. After saving the billions of civilians from brutal sacrifices to Chaos and wiping out the traitors, the Liberators became welcomed guests to Fenris every year. These guests have yet to beat the Space Wolves in their various contests of drinking and hunting. *'Salamanders ' - This historically benevolent chapter became fast friends with the Liberators. On the planet of Houstus, the Salamanders and Emperor's Liberators were the closest ones able to respond to a Dark Eldar raid. The Liberators used their aircraft and fastest vehicles to cut off the Dark Eldar's webway escape portals, before moving to assist the Salamanders in finding the slave convoys led by the Dark Eldar. It quickly turned into a hostage situation, but the two chapters coordinated lightning raids inside of numerous small buildings. Their close quarter prowess and hatred for the Dark Eldar carried the day and saved any further civilians from being killed or sent to Commoragh. Since that day, the Salamanders have welcomed the Liberators to visit Nocturne and collaborate on future missions despite their renegade status. *'Lamenters' *Gulf Hawks *Holy Hospitallers *[[Void Paladins|'Void Paladins']]- Though the Paladins follow the tenets of the Imperial Truth, there anti authoritarian values, renegade status, and willingness to save human lives even at the cost of there own has been enough similarities for the Paladins to assist against the Tau as Battlement was not very far from Pueblo itself. In fact it was from the resistance against the Tau on Battlement that forced the Tau into Pueblo's system, sparking a small war between the Tau and Void Paladins. Because of this the Kiseran ordered several companies to see what they could do to help the fledgling Astartes chapter, after a Venator kill team covertly landed on Battlement and observed the Liberators as well as there actions to see if they were tainted by Chaos. Also from there dealings with the Emperor's Liberators is where Opifex Alek Fuglsong learned about and gained his love for the ancient Terran writings and the lessons within them that the Liberators and Agents of Liberty followed almost religiously, he even offered a copy of his own sacred Terran writing, "Sense of the Common" from the author Thom Pane to add to there own. The Axis of Evil You are welcome to add your homebrew xeno faction or chaos warband below: The chapter's roster of enemies has expanded greatly following their latest war on Battlement. Every participant in the attack has earned the eternal hatred of the chapter. Thanks to their renegade status, the same can be said for any chapter who will attack immediately upon seeing the Emperor's Liberators in the field. If any member of the Axis of Evil is encountered, the Liberators are on standing orders to kill on sight. *'Tau' *'Drukhari' *'Chaos' *'Marines Malevolent' - The Emperor's Liberators have an abiding hatred for the Marines Malevolent and any other chapter known for extreme disregard of civilian lives. There are rumors said chapters who earn such ire are designated to be killed on sight. *The Inquisition *Grey Knights *Order of the Bloody Rose *Vostroyan Firstborn *Destroyers of Worlds *Murdering Sons *Sable Lions *Imperius Ravagers Relations With the Wider Imperium Due to their staunch anti-authoritarian values, the chapter hates the Imperial bureaucracy. The Inquisition and Mechanicus reminds them of the Tau’s TGB (Tau Gue’vesa Bureau) from Battlement's occupation, except they are far more malicious and destructive. Such a hatred has been kept largely a secret from the wider Imperium, with only trusted allies knowing this.Thusly, the Emperor’s Liberators almost never work with the Inquisition or AdMech unless necessary, and keep them at quite a distance. While most Imperial organizations have at least a working relationship with the chapter, the Ecclesiarchy is somewhat fond of the chapter thanks to their fervent (albeit strange) belief in the Emperor. The chapter is on brotherly terms with the Space Wolves, Salamanders, Celestial Lions, and Lamenters. The Emperor’s Liberators appreciate how said chapters value civilian life, in addition to the anti-authoritarian values of the Space Wolves. The tactics of the Space Wolves and Salamanders has left a somewhat lasting impression on how the Emperor’s Liberators conduct themselves. The Emperor’s Liberators are also fully sympathetic to the plight of the Lamenters and Celestial Lions, and seek to work with them whenever possible. The Lamenters and Celestial Lions indeed have rescued the Liberators on a number of occasions. For the most part, they have a decent relationship with most other chapters. A begrudging respect was earned by the Raven Guard, who were fond of the Emperor’s Liberator’s tactics but felt they had more to learn in the finer points of guerrilla warfare and stealth. The tactics of the Raven Guard have indeed begun to rub off on the Emperor’s Liberators. Both chapters were also united in their hatred for the Tau, and that their origins had a few crucial elements in common (fighting for freedom from an oppressive regime). The Black Templars are appreciative of the Emperor’s Liberators’ religious zeal, but are quite baffled and suspicious of the motivations for such faith. However, chapters like the Dark Angels and their successors who value human life a lot less have a more frosty relationship with the Emperor’s Liberators. The Dark Angels (and their successors’) willingness to abandon the field to pursue the Fallen has also left a bad taste.They also have very poor relations with the Iron Hands for the latter chapter’s general demeanor and attitudes. Chapters with especially close ties to the Mechanicus or Inquisition are kept at an arm’s length. As with every Astartes chapter, the Marines Malevolent is despised by the Emperor’s Liberators. An Eldar Farseer on Ceres escaped with her raiding force because the Emperor’s Liberators rushed to the aid of civilians and wounded allies instead. After a fierce disagreement from the Marines Malevolent 3rd Company Captain, the two chapters got into a violent skirmish that had to be broken up by the Ultramarines. Since that day, the Marines Malevolent and the Emperor’s Liberators have orders to kill each other on sight. After the events of the reckoning, any chapter not on at least working terms with the Emperor's Liberators are enemies, as the poor relations with the chapter and their zealous nature (where applicable) will inevitably start conflict. Relations with the entire Adeptus Astartes and other Imperial organizations have been permanently strained and constant interventions in conflicts against the enemies of man are the only thing preventing them from getting worse. Some organizations, like the Inquisition, are outright enemies of the chapter. Chapter Wargear Neophytes: Colt or Bushmaster pattern Autoguns (or 'Persuader' pattern lasguns), Flak Armor and helmet Scout Marines: Godwyn Pattern Bolter, Scout Armor, Frag and Krak Grenades, Combat Knife (exact weaponry depends on role in combat) Battle-Brothers: Power armor, Godwyn Pattern Bolter, Frag and Krak Grenades, Combat Knife Specialist: Exact weaponry optional but based on exact role Command Ranks: Exact weaponry optional but based on exact role Notable Quotes By the Emperor's Liberators Please feel free to add your own About the Emperor's Liberators Feel free to add your own Gallery IMG_1097.jpg|Initial artwork for the Emperor's Liberators File:Emp's Liberators Termi.png|An Emperor's Liberators Veteran Marine. (Credit to Algrim Whitefang). File:Scout Alexis Jonesson.jpg|Alexis Jonesson as a Scout Marine. File:Scout Tedium Nugentus.jpg|Tedium Nugentus as a Scout Marine. File:Scout Davidius Clarkeson.jpg|Davidius Clarkeson as a Scout Marine. File:Ap DD1A1DAE-9909-443F-8A40-DB7BBEEB5F17.jpg|Raegus in combat. Videos Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Unknown Founding Category:Unknown Geneseed